“This must be the building.”
When they went outside, they saw a two-story cylindrical building a little distance away. The second floor had many windows and seemed to be set up as a viewing area.
“Welcome. Are you two a couple?”
As Kent opened the door and entered the building, a waitress spoke to him.
“Yes, there are two of us.”
“Then we have seating on both the first and second floors. Which would you prefer?”
When Kent answered, the waitress asked him which floor he preferred.
“Is there any difference between the first and second floors?”
“Yes, the first-floor seating is designed to let you savor the atmosphere of the shop, with fewer windows and decorations placed inside. The second-floor seating is arranged in a circle of windows, allowing you to enjoy your meal surrounded by the scenery. The menu we offer is the same for both the first and second floors.”
Josette asked, and the waitress replied.
“Kent, what do you think?”
“Let’s see. Josette, you decide.”
“I see.”
Josette surveyed the first floor within her field of vision. There were about twenty tables on the first floor, each seating four people. About half of them were occupied, and nearly all the customers seemed to be couples. Some of them were people who had ridden in the same carriage as them.
“We’ll take the second-floor seating, please.”
“Understood. We will guide you to the second-floor seating. Please be careful as you go up these stairs.”
With that, the waitress began to ascend the stairs, followed by Kent and Josette.
“This is a spiral staircase I’ve never seen before. It looks like I might miss my step, so it’s a little scary.”
“It’s a spiral staircase. I might be seeing one for the first time in this world. Josette, please be careful where you step.”
The spiral staircase was built around a central pillar, with many exposed sections, making it somewhat frightening. However, it had handrails and anti-slip treatment on the floor to prevent missteps, indicating careful consideration for safety. The width of the staircase was sufficient for two people to walk side-by-side, so Josette, on the wider outer edge, and Kent, holding her hand from the inside, moved to the second floor together, carefully ensuring Josette maintained her balance.
“This is our second-floor seating. Please choose any available seat you like.”
Upon reaching the second floor, the waitress said this to Kent and Josette.
“Oh, it’s very bright. However…”
“Looking at it like this, you can tell it’s a former mine.”
The second-floor seating had windows all around, offering a 360-degree view. While some directions offered views of lush natural landscapes, others revealed the starkly cut mountains of a closed mine, piles of excavated stones, and numerous dilapidated buildings that seemed to be from the mine’s operating days. It was a scene that might delight a ruin enthusiast, but Josette appeared surprised by this unprecedented sight.
“Kent, which seat shall we choose?”
“Let’s see. Is this one okay?”
“What, that one? Well, if Kent says so, I don’t mind…”
The seat Kent chose was by the window, offering a clear view of the former mine. Josette was surprised but said nothing, as Kent had chosen it, and they both sat down.
“This is the seat. We offer only course menus here. We have courses A, B, and C, with prices as follows.”
The waitress showed them a board with the prices and descriptions of what was included in each course.
“I see. I’ll have course A. Is that alright with you, Kent?”
“Hm? Oh, it’s fine with me.”
Kent chose the same as Josette.
“Then, both of us will have course A, please.”
“Understood. We will begin preparations, so please wait a moment.”
After receiving their order, the waitress bowed and went downstairs to relay the order.
“It’s strange, though, that with such a good view, there’s no one else here.”
“Right. I suspect that might be the reason.”
Josette looked around the second floor and spoke. Besides Kent and herself, there were no employees present. Kent pointed to the mine ruins, which stood out as an anomaly amidst the natural scenery, implying they were the cause.
“I agree. If it weren’t for that, we could have enjoyed our meal with a good view, not to mention being able to see the adjacent building where we were earlier. By the way, Kent, why did you choose this seat?”
Josette asked Kent the question that had been on her mind.
“Ruins may look bleak, but if you think about enjoying the process of buildings naturally decaying, your perspective changes.”
“Naturally decaying…?”
“Yes, when this facility was in use, if you imagine how people used it then, and observe it again while imagining the years that have passed since it was no longer maintained, you might have a different impression than ‘scary’ or ‘bleak.’ While entering them can be dangerous due to collapse, you can enjoy them safely just by looking from afar.”
“Enjoying the scenery as it returns to nature… I see. So there is that kind of enjoyment.”
Josette listened to Kent’s reasoning.
“Now that you mention it, when I recall what I saw in the archive room, I somewhat understand the situation back then.”
Josette recalled the exhibits she had recently seen in the archive room, and as she looked at the ruins again, the situation back then, albeit vaguely, came to her mind.
“Our guests are enjoying themselves in a rather sophisticated way.”
“Whoa!”
“Eek!”
Kent and Josette were startled and cried out as a voice suddenly spoke to them while they were gazing out the window.
“I apologize. It seems I startled you. I am the owner of this dining establishment. I came to see how things were, as we had guests on the second floor for the first time in a while. I never expected someone to understand the intention behind placing the windows on this side.”
The person who spoke to them was a well-dressed elderly man, likely in his sixties or seventies.
“If you just wanted to show a beautiful view, there would be no need for windows on this side. So, that was the meaning behind it.”
“This shop was started as a hobby for an old man, so I thought such playfulness was necessary.”
“Um, forgive me for asking, but is this establishment related to the building next door?”
Kent said, convinced. The owner seemed satisfied that someone agreed with his thoughts. Incidentally, the waitress who had just served them, and the owner himself, were people who had not been present when Josette apologized earlier. Josette asked the owner, partly to confirm.
“Well, when the neighboring facility was being built, His Grace the Duke’s son, Evarist, approached me and asked if I would consider opening a restaurant. I used to run a trading company, but I had retired and handed it over to my son. I had nothing else to do, so with the Duke’s family’s support, I accepted the offer and opened this establishment.”
“I see.”
Hearing the owner’s words, Josette seemed to understand.
“I seem to have gotten carried away. Your food will be ready soon, so please wait a little longer. I will take my leave now. Please enjoy your meal.”
With that, the owner descended the stairs.
“Thank you for your patience. Here is your appetizer.”
The waitress replaced the owner and brought the appetizer. After serving Kent and Josette, she returned downstairs.
“Grilled vegetables.”
“There’s also aperitif.”
On the table were three types of grilled vegetables served as an appetizer, and a small amount of fruit wine in a glass next to them.
“It’s bland. I didn’t find it so before, but now that I’m used to my current diet, I find it a little lacking.”
Josette then looked around furtively, ensuring they were alone.
“It’s just not complete without this.”
“Josette, where are you getting that from?”
Josette unbuttoned her top, reached inside, and began to search for something. Then, she took out mayonnaise in a small container from her décolletage.
“Oh? Are you going to use it too, Kent?”
“No, that’s not the point.”
Josette said, already starting to put mayonnaise on the grilled vegetables.
“I suppose I have no choice. It was originally borrowed from Kent’s family, so I’ll put some on for you.”
With that, Josette began to put mayonnaise on the grilled vegetables on Kent’s plate before he could answer.
“All right, I’ll have some. Mmm, of course, mayonnaise goes well with vegetables.”
Josette ate the grilled vegetables with her mouth full, her face looking happy.
“Then I’ll have some too. Munch.”
The grilled vegetables had cooled down since they were cooked, but the mayonnaise was still slightly warm.
(This is Josette’s body temperature, isn’t it?)
Thinking this, Kent felt a slight excitement. Kent and Josette drank the accompanying wine and waited for the next course.
“Next, soup.”
Soup was brought after the appetizer.
“This is also bland. In that case, this should work.”
“Josette!”
Again, Josette fumbled at her chest and took out another condiment. She continued to do this for the fish and meat dishes that followed, always taking out the appropriate condiment from her décolletage, saying they were bland.
“For dessert, it’s baked sweet potato.”
“It appears so.”
The dessert served was baked sweet potato, which had become a staple in the town where Kent and Josette lived. To make it look elegant, small pieces of sweet potato were placed neatly on a clean plate.
“As expected, I can eat this as is.”
“R-right.”
As Josette kept revealing her chest each time she retrieved a condiment, Kent’s gaze involuntarily drifted to her chest. Noticing this, Josette smiled mischievously. Finally, tea was served, and after finishing it, they decided to leave.
“Thank you for your patronage. We look forward to serving you again.”
Kent and Josette moved downstairs and settled the bill.
“What is this?”
The dishes used by Kent and Josette were placed on shelves on the second floor. They were to be collected and returned to the kitchen on the lower floor. However, upon re-examining the dishes, the waitress noticed that the color of the residue left on the plates was different from what had been served.
“I’m curious.”
The waitress, unable to suppress her curiosity and knowing it was a breach of etiquette, scooped up the white substance on the appetizer plate with her finger and tasted it.
“What is this?”
The taste was intensely striking, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The waitress, uttering a line common in isekai stories, then tasted other remnants on the plates that were different in color from the ingredients provided.
“Oh, Owner. Could you come here for a moment! Could you taste this?”
Afterward, a commotion ensued in the store involving the owner and the cooks in the kitchen, but Kent and Josette were unaware of it.
“Kent, today was fun.”
“It was fun for me too.”
As they boarded the carriage home, Josette said to Kent. A directional sign was available outside the dining establishment, and they easily found the boarding area by following it. Adjacent to it was a stable for horses, indicating that private carriages could also be used, not just the stagecoach. Many horses were tethered there, and numerous carriages, with their horses removed, filled the parking spaces. Although few people were seen within the facility itself, the number of horses and carriages suggested that the facility was quite popular.
“Hm?”
“Zzzzz.”
In the swaying carriage, Kent noticed that Josette had quietly fallen asleep. He looked over and saw that she had leaned her body against him, her breathing soft and rhythmic.
“She didn’t sleep much last night either, she must be tired.”
Kent gently stroked Josette’s long silver hair. Then, with Josette sleeping soundly, he headed home, gazing at her peaceful face.
